N. Lauderdale Residents Form Crime Watch To Deter Crime

February 28, 1986|By Kimberly Lifton, Staff Writer

NORTH LAUDERDALE — About 85 residents of the Burnham Woods subdivision, frightened by an increase in burglaries in their middle-class neighborhood, joined forces Wednesday night and formed their first Crime Watch team.

``I`m really taken back at the response,`` said North Lauderdale Crime Prevention Officer Joan Rosenthal, who has made numerous attempts to start the program in the area.

``They finally decided they better get up and do something,`` she said.

Crime Watch is a program in which residents are assigned identification numbers and can anonymously report crime tips to local police departments. A neighborhood must have 100 participants to launch a Crime Watch team.

Since October, residents have reported 18 burglaries in the development of single-family homes on the west side of Southwest 81st Avenue between Commercial Boulevard and McNab Road.

Police have arrested eight burglars -- seven juveniles and one adult -- in the development. They have cleared six of the crimes.

But, Rosenthal told the group, police need neighborhood support.

``You need to become the eyes and the ears of the Police Department,`` she said. ``The city is growing in leaps and bounds and this area is conducive to crime and very accessible.``

The residents met at the home of organizer Ann Douglas after she and another neighbor, Judith E. De Graci, knocked on about 200 homes to extend an invitation.

Patrol cars canvassed the neighborhood during the meeting to warn burglars to stay away.

Douglas, whose home was burglarized last year, said she has been trying to get support for Crime Watch for more than a year.

She said she lost several items that had sentimental value, but the worst thing was knowing that someone invaded her personal space.

``Burglary is a crime of opportunity,`` Rosenthal said. ``And it only will escalate unless each and every one of you look out for yourselves.``

The residents discussed recent burglary problems in the area with Rosenthal and two detectives.